Steffen-1 Loc: Arizona

I have taken some photos and I am trying to get the background black. I can't find how to adjust the shadow and blacks in adobe Lightroom. I had been adjusting it and for some reason I can't find it any more. I must have hidden it somewhere. This is solo frustrating. Can someone point me in the right direction please?

After I adjust some of my images background to a darker black tone in Develop there was a blue light over them. Yet when I went back to Library mode the picture looked black again. What am I doing that causes this?

gemlenz Loc: Gilbert Arizona

You may have the Basic block minimized. There should be a little arrow next to the word Basic. Click on that.

Rongnongno Loc: FL

No answer, I do not use LR


You may want to simply update the thumbnails to reflect the changes???

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

You might have accidently closed the right hand panel of adjustments.

LR has 4 panels...one on top, bottom, left and right.

There is a little "triangle" on the right...click it and it will open that panel.

the "blue" that you see is the "this is too dark" clipping warning color.

(Download)

smith934 Loc: Huntsville, Alabama

I believe, from another thread, that the blue is just an indicator that there is no detail in that area because you took it to black. As you noted, it disappears when back in Library.

Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI

I usually drag the mouse on the histogram to adjust my shadows, blacks, whites and highlights.

birdpix Loc: South East Pennsylvania

Those little triangle that you see in numerous locations in LR are known as "Disclosure Triangles". They are used to show or hide the respective panel or tool. In the develop module, on the right side panel where all the tools are you have an option to have only the active tool bar visible and all other tool bars automatically hidden. In other words if you finished working in the basic panel and opened the detail panel, the basic panel becomes hidden. This is known as "Solo" mode. If you right click with the cursor over the tool panel you will get a drop down menu that allows you to check or uncheck "Solo" mode. You can also completely hide the various tool panels via this menu.

Steffen-1 Loc: Arizona

Thank you, this was very helpful. Is there another way to adjust white and black other than the histogram? I guess I won't die if I don't find the first way that I adjusted the color as long as I can adjust it using the histogram. It just bugs me that I can't find it.

Question: If I have to much black or shadows indicated by the histogram what kind of problems will I have? What I am trying to accomplish is darkening the background to my images. I did not have the soft box close enough to my subject so that the light drops off the back of the subject making the background look really dark.

I was working with children who just could not be still and I had a lot of pic that I just could not use. It was my first portrait shoot with raw. I know now that I have to place my soft box very close to my subjects and light meter their skin before taking the shot.

Anyway here is one that I need to tweak. Keep in mind that this is for practice therefore this is not the best pic I took. I would like to add some interested and lighting to the background around her so she doesn't get lost in the background as well. I am open to any constructive criticism. Thanks ahead of time.

Background needs tweaking.

birdpix Loc: South East Pennsylvania

First off, tool bars just don't cease to exist. Clearly you need to look for those disclosure triangles and click on the one that is next to the word "Basic" on the right hand side panel in the develop module. If there is no such word "Basic", then right click over the right side panel and a menu will appear. Make sure the basic panel is check marked. If this doesn't help, PM me and I will go over a few more things that might help.

As to the lighting, there are various ways to help make a subject stand out from a dark background such as a hair light or rim light.You may have needed a light on the background, too. For some real help with lighting check out the "People" section here on Uglyhedgehog. For help with the post processing check out the "Post Processing" section. These sections are hidden and can be accessed via the home page http://www.uglyhedgehog.com/ under the "All Sections" area.

Steffen-1 Loc: Arizona

Ok I found it. I had to click windows-panels-basic. Thank you. You are right that I needed a back light for my subject. I also need to bring my light very close to them. So now that I found the white and black adjustments, I am going to focus more on the lighting to help improve separating the subject from the background. I will post my updates when I am done. I have to work so it may be a couple of days or so.

Thanks everyone for your help.

Pamela

birdpix Loc: South East Pennsylvania

Pamela,

Do check with the People section on the lighting as moving the light closer to you subject will reduce the light on the background due to the inverse square law. If you don't know what that is, Google it or do a search here on UHH. Good luck!

Steffen-1 Loc: Arizona

Thank you so much. I will check on this and practice. I have been watching video trying get a better understanding of lighting. I will be sure to post more pictures to show what progress I am making.

MtnMan Loc: ID

If you bring up the shadows slider you should be able to get what you want for the background.

The first thing I do on most pics is adjust the white and black sliders. If you hold the Alt key while clicking and sliding you'll see the pic go almost all black on the white slider, and white on the black slider. Move it till you get a little of the other in locations where you don't want detail. You will see that stretches your histogram to the edges. You don't want the little triangles on the histogram lit. Indeed another way to make that adjustment is to just watch the triangles...if they aren't lit move it till they light and then back off to turn them off.

If you post using "store original" some will help show you what can be done.